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Berserk
Base cost: -10 points; can be resisted. Berserk is a mental, mundane disadvantage where tou tend to rampage out of control when you or a loved one is harmed, making frenzied attacks against whoever or whatever you see as the cause of the trouble. (''Basic Set'', p. 124). Enhancements It has the special enhancement Battle Rage. It is referenced in GURPS Martial Arts, p. 179, on use of techniques by Berserk characters. Berserk and the Martial Arts clarifies that while Determined/Strong are the most likely, Berserker AOA can include Double / Long/ Feint too. Presumably a Berserker who can't use one or more of those possibilities has some kind of quirk about it. "berserkers can’t use techniques that are active defense" might be intended for when they must make AOA with hand/melee weapons, it's unclear if it also applies when they are using Move or Move and Attack. "those who suffer the effects of Berserk can only take the All-Out Attack maneuver" seems to forget that, unless it is just referring to situations where foes are within reach. Kromm Quotes Sean Punch has commented on Berserk in the following posts to the SJG GURPS Forums: *on it being fair to allow Committed Attack in place of All-Out Attack, in light of Telegraphic Attack making the lack of defense a greater drawback 7 June 2013 **this also makes sense since Move / Move and Attack allow a Berserker to defend themselves * On its pricing 30 April 2007 * On how the bad more than balances the good 6 December 2006 * On compatibility with Unfazeable 28 June 2005 * On its separation from Bad Temper in 4th Edition 27 June 2005 http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=1223991#post1223991 :If you must roll to stay conscious or alive while berserk, then you must roll – but you do so at +4. Once the altered state wears off, if you're in a state where you would risk unconsciousness or death, you must roll against HT for each effect, and without the +4. Snapping out of a berserk state is considered a shock sufficient to trigger further HT rolls. That's the top reason why Berserk is a disadvantage http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=1224808#post1224808 :Ending your berserk state triggers one extra HT roll for consciousness at 0 or fewer HP, and one extra HT roll for survival at -HP or worse. Both are subject to the usual modifiers (e.g., -1 to consciousness rolls per full multiple of negative HP) and results (e.g., failure by 1-2 on a survival roll means a mortal wound). Neither enjoys the +4. These rolls represent additional chances to fail, over and above what you would face were you not a berserker. ::You don't keep a laundry list of every HT roll made at +4 and then reroll them without the +4 later; if you did, then Berserk would have a base value of -20 or -30 points, not -10 points. http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=1225612#post1225612 :You definitely do make all of those survival rolls, one for each increment of -HP, at HT+4 when Berserk. When you snap out, you don't make them all again. You make just one roll at HT. Angie Angie the Barbarian has HT 12 and 14 HP. She goes berserk and starts whacking people. In the course of doing so, she takes four hits herself. The first delivers 8 HP. Who cares . . . Angie can't be stunned, suffer shock, or slow down due to injuries. She's at 6 HP. The next does 9 HP. That's 17 HP total injury, putting Angie at -3 HP. At every turn past this one, she must roll at HT+4, or 16 or less, to remain conscious. At those odds, she does, of course. The third blow strikes the vitals, and inflicts 24 HP! That's 41 HP total injury, putting Angie at -27 HP. She hit one threshold at -14 HP (-HP), but not quite a second at -28 HP (-2×HP). She rolls at HT+4, or 16 or less, not to die. She doesn't die. The fourth and final blow deals another 15 HP. That's 56 HP total injury, putting Angie at -42 HP. She hit thresholds at -28 HP (-2×HP) and -42 HP (-3×HP), and rolls twice more at 16 not to die. She doesn't. Then Angie snaps out of berserk. Being at -HP or worse, she must immediately roll once vs. her unmodified HT of 12 to be alive. She does, luckily for her. Being below 0 HP and not dead, she must also roll once vs. HT to stay conscious – but at -3 for being so far in the hole. That's 9 or less, and she rolls a 10 and fails, passing out immediately. See Also * Bad Temper * Cold Berserk * Self-Control Number * List of Disadvantages Category:Mental Traits Category:Mundane Traits Category:Disadvantages